InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Daughter of the Forest ❯ Chapter 2

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

a/n: i'm really new to this so please tell me what you want or think.

disclaimer: i don't own inuyasha cause Rumiko Takahashi or the book 'daughter of the forest' cause Julliet Marillier does. So i don't claim the storyline or the characters.

well lets get on with this story.

Chapter two: The effects of war.

The halls were silent. The stones were as cold as ice, the torchlight lighting up their grey surface.

Every stone had a tale, of war and of love that led back hundreds of years. The castle stood here for so long and screamed with the power that had once graced it halls, but was gone now. Slowly vanishing like the building itself, eaten away by pain and sorrow.

These were stories no one would hear. Who would listen to them anyway? They were just stones and nobody ever bothered. Much like the forest, it longed for someone to hear but never was. Only a few special people can hear their spirits...

It was as if silence echoed through the ancient structure and everything was erie.

An old woman passed by the stones her footsteps soft and unheard. Her silver/grey hair tired up in a tight bun, as the torchlight eluminated her wrinkles and the black eye patch.

She bowed her head solemnly knowing all to well why this hall was so quiet. The woman who once lived in the room at the far end was gone now.

Her name was Queen Kikyo, her sister. The one who had died so many years ago. Now her power clung to the walls as if to live a little longer. But as the years went by it disapeared like her memory.

She remembered the happiness that had once been there and had been riped away from the world. She was one of the special people. She had listened to the forest, the spirits, she had heard their call and followed them to the end of her days.

He never came here anymore. It was to painful to remember her. Leon had loved Kikyo with all his heart and soul. She was his one and only and when she died his soul went with her.

Kaede shook her head at the thought.

'Why did you take her?' She thought. She knew it was silly to speak to the spirits, they never listened or even cared.

She knew his pain had been the cause of the war. He would usually let things go with a smile.

When the inu-youkai stole a small island of the coast he had been enraged and fought with all his might to get them off. That had only caused the shed of unecessary blood. Mostly on his side as the inu-youkai fought back fiercely. Kaede knew there was no point, they were no match for the powerful demons, but he never listened to her anymore.

She believed in the old faith, the spirits, Midoriko.

He despised this as much as the spirits themselves. They hadn't helped him in his time of need after all. So he made their law forbiden along with the forest. He decided they were evil and wouldn't help. He wouldn't have his daughter's head being filled with nonsense.

Thus he turned away from his people and let their village crumble. He didn't even know how they suffered when he was gone and all the trouble she was having with raising a child and saving their people.

She thought about how much pain the war had caused. The mothers who lost their sons and the wives and children who lost their fathers and husbands. They were starving and poor and in need of guidance but their king was lost and there was no way of getting him back.

Kaede was the only one helping them and she was to old and tired to keep up.

Kaede opened a small door. The room was filled with shelves of herbs and remidies of every kind, for everything from a cold to heart attacks. This had been kikyo's lab- Where she stored and made all the medicines.

This was also where she expected to find Kagome, Kikyo's daughter. The day she was born Kaede had rejoiced. She was the only heir to the kingdom and now seemed to be its only hope.

Kaede had secretly taught her everything about the spirits and healing. Training her to be a powerful miko, like her mother.

That had been what Kikyo wanted, for she had a strange gift of sight, and knew almost everything before it happened. She had known she was going to die and her daughters fate. All she had told Kaede was, that she would need her guiding hand for one day she will have to rely on her own strength for a while.

Kaede didn't know what she meant but knew her sister was never wrong.

So she trained and Kagome was an aspiring miko, with power even beyond her mother, when she attended the lessons. She was far to wild.

Their lessons were secret, Leon would have beheaded her if he knew she was being taught.

Kaede frowned at the empty stool at the bench, she was sure Kagome would be here. She had tried her room and the herb garden behind the castle and this was the last place. Unless...

'Kagome is in the forest' she thought.

She wished that girl would understand the danger. there were thugs and demons roaming the forest. Not to metion the inu youkai... But the worst of all would be if Leon found out.

He hated the forest as much as he did Midoriko.

Kagome was so much like her mother, even a little wilder. It was no wonder Leon hated being around her.

Kaede decided she would just go to the village herself. She gathered a wide selection of bottles, herbs and bandages. Then she would make her way to the kitchen and collect as much food as she could carry.

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Kagome ran as fast as she could. leaping over the uplifted roots and under the low branches. she ran as fast as her feet could take her, as far as she could.

She only wanted to feel the wind and the earth beneath her feet. She wasn't running from anyone in particular. She never really worried about the dangers her father had scolded her about.

She didn't even worry about the inu youkai. If she ever met one she would give him a peice of her mind and teach him about suffering.

In the forest she feared for nothing relishing the sounds of the wind and the animals as she ran. She stopped at a small creek and listened to it as it flowed by.

This was one of the many creeks that flowed though the forest and filled the lake hidden deep within it. A lake no one had ever found. It was Midoriko's secret lair, but it was only another myth.

Through the thick foliage Kagome could just make out the golden light of the setting sun.

"I better get back" she whispered and turned to go home.

If Kagome had turned around one last time, she would have seen the pale spirit of a woman. She had no smile, only eyes that spoke of saddness and ancient wisdom.

She looked directly at Kagome but hid her presence well.

At her feet a small two tailed youkai watched like a tiny guard.

"Go" whispered the woman and pointed in Kagome's direction.

The youkai gave a squeak of approval and followered behind Kagome.

"I fear it is almost time" Then a gust of wind swept her away as if she had never been...

Only the silent forest knew of her prescence and the plans she had for Kagome but they wouldn't tell, for it was to horrible to think about...

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Kaede was walking through the village of the sick and poor. This had once been a very prosperous village with happy people and the wide grins of children. Now they were covered in dirt and plagued by famine and disease.

The crops were failing and the rivers were drying up. the only water and food was with the palace gardens and that was too small to fed everyone or even last them. That food was also suppose to last the palace through winter.

It was a miserable sight. The few homes were made of nothing but flimsy wood and staw and they had holes and missing doors. The sick and weak just lay in the street their arms reaching to her as they weakly begged for help. The children hiding from the various thieves and murderes that preyed on them.

She could only do so much for them, feed them and cloth them and bathe their wounds.

But kagome was a much better healer as her powers were far stronger...

If only she knew where she was? Kaede didn't want to think about the danger she could be in.

Especially since her father was comming home soon and if he found her there...

Not to mention all the injured soldiers he would bring with him. As much as he hated miko powers he needed them to heal his warriors for the next battle.

As much as she disliked battle she didn't want those soldiers to suffer. They had enough worries with those savage inu youkai.

Suddenly a smilling figure came walking up. She had the face and body of a beautiful young woman who was still growing up.

"Kaede!" Kagome called "Let me help you!"

Kaede smiled. She knew she didn't need to worry about kagome. At least not yet.

They worked all afternoon bandaging and feeding the people and for one momentit all seemed alright again. The happy smiling faces and strength returning to the people if only it would last.

Unfortunatly winter was on its way, with it was something far worse than death...

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The horses rode over the battlefield, their rides wore amour stained with blood and weapons encrusted with death.

The soldiers were battered and tired but couldn't wait to get home. They had won this battle even caught themselves a few prisoners.

They were going to be 'interogated' in other words tortured until the spilled everything they knew about anything. The ordeals ahead for them were worst than a quick death, many wouldn't survive a day.

They all had sorrowful faces, as they gave up any hope of freedom. They didn't even think about the home they would be leaving or their families. What was the point?

All had given hope except one.

She had a determined look in her eyes. She still fought against the chains that bound her wrists and the people that beat her. She pulled and jerked against them until she began to bleed. She would let them take her, she would never talk. never...

A tear rolled down her face and over a mask that covered her face.

As it fell to the land her plea for help was heard.

Of course she came, the spirit woman, she watched as the girl fought but did nothing. the wind and grass reached out to her and searched her heart and soul. what was she looking for?

Seeing something inside her the spirit looked down, at her feet was a weapon. She knew it belonged to the poor woman being beaten for resisting capture.

The spirit bent over and picked up the huge boomerange shaped weapon and they both disapeared. She would wait for the day she would return it to its master...



a/n: if you people don't know who the girl is you are so dumb. come on who owns a boomerange thing in the inuyasha series?
just so you know the spirit is apart of the forest and plants and stuff so she feels its pain. oh and kilala or kirara which one is it? someone tell me is not owned by sango.

please review. tell me if i spelt something wrong... anything!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! you don't have to but you can